The Green Digest
A Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care Initiative
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RETScreen is a Clean Energy Management Software system for energy efficiency, renewable energy and co generation project feasibility analysis as well as ongoing energy performance analysis. Learn more HERE.
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THANK YOU to all our front line health care workers and everyone who is working so hard to ensure Canada's health system remains ready to deliver the best care possible during these very challenging times.
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In the interests of public safety, please follow health agency guidelines to help keep us all healthy. For more information and prevention tips, visit the Government of Canada's COVID-19 site HERE.
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BC investing $1.6 billion in coronavirus "preparedness plan" for fall and winter
The BC government announced on Wednesday that it is investing $1.6 billion into a fall and winter “preparedness plan” to help manage the continuing coronavirus pandemic moving into the colder months.
“The actions we are taking today are a big step to help protect everyone in our province as we head into the fall, and in doing that, will also help lessen the impact the pandemic has had on our economy,” said Premier John Horgan. “We know people have stepped up to stop the spread, and right now we need good people to step forward to help deliver these life-saving initiatives.”
The province said the plan will provide new support to seniors in long-term care homes and assisted-living facilities, by ensuring more British Columbians than ever before can get a flu shot, and by reducing the chance for transmission of COVID-19 in BC hospitals.
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Investing in Canada infrastructure program - COVID-19 resilience stream
The Federal Government is adapting the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to respond to the impacts of COVID-19. Delivered through bilateral agreements with provinces and territories, the program is being adjusted to add flexibilities, expand project eligibility and accelerate approvals.
Over $3 billion is now available in existing funding through a new, temporary COVID-19 Resilience stream. It provides provinces and territories with added flexibility to fund quick-start, short-term projects that might not otherwise be eligible under existing funding streams. More HERE.
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Canadian technology to detect COVID-19 in air
Kontrol Energy Corporation, a Canadian public Company (CSE: KNR) (OTCQB: KNRLF), has launched BioCloud, an unobtrusive wall-mounted technology which detects the presence of COVID-19 in the air and triggers an alert system to provide real time notifications of the pathogen's presence to facility managers, with the aim of allowing outbreaks to be contained before they occur. Immediate applications in schools, hospitals, long-term care facilities and mass transit vehicles including planes, trains and buses represent a game changer in the fight against COVID-19. More HERE.
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Hospital News seeking a writer/article on recycling PPE
The folks at Hospital News are looking for a new article on recycling PPE, or a writer who is willing to write an article on the same. Please get in touch with Kristie Jones at editor@hospitalnews.com to convey your interest.
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Where are Canada's Energy Managers?
The Coalition team wants to know more about the growing number of energy managers in Canada's health sector with an eye to providing access to enhanced energy management software.
If you are an energy manager in a Canadian hospital or health care organisation, or if your organisation has an energy manager, our project manager would love to hear from you. Please email kent@greenhealthcare.ca to learn more. Thank you. |
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ENERGY LITE
3-Day Online Workshop
September 22, October 6 and 8
10:30 am - 3:30 pm
CHES members: $350 +HST
Non-CHES members: $450 +HST
Includes one-year CHES* and Coalition Memberships
This training session is ideal for:
• Hospital and LTC Facility Staff
• Energy and Finance Managers
• Operations Technicians
• Electricians/HVAC/Controls Technicians
• Facility Managers, Supervisors
• Facility/Construction Coordinators
• Energy and Finance Managers
Instructors:
- JJ Knott
- Stephen Dixon
- Michel Parent
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Government of Canada invests in tidal power
The Government of Canada is committed to building a clean energy future to strengthen the economy, create good jobs and support the natural resource sectors. This commitment will be more important than ever as the economy is reopened and plans are made for recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
The Honourable Bernadette Jordan announced a CAN$9.4 million investment in four tidal energy projects that will bring clean energy technologies to the Atlantic region and help Canada build a cleaner future.
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Kaiser Permanente becomes first carbon-neutral health system in the U.S.
Kaiser Permanente has become the first health care system in the United States to achieve carbon-neutral status. With its longstanding commitment to improving conditions that lead to poor health, Kaiser Permanente has prioritized sustainability to contribute to and catalyze a green future free of the extreme climate conditions currently harming so many Americans. This move to carbon neutrality eliminates the organization's 800,000-ton annual carbon footprint, the equivalent of taking 175,000 cars off the road. The U.S. health care industry overall is responsible for roughly 10 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. More HERE.
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Sustainability gets a boost in Alberta with federal funding for green projects through FCM
Canadians live in cleaner, healthier communities when municipalities develop innovative solutions to reduce pollution, improve energy efficiency and find new uses for public infrastructure. Even through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) continue to make strategic investments through the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) to support more sustainable communities of all sizes. GMF is funded by the Government of Canada and delivered to municipalities by FCM. The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Canada's Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and Bill Karsten, President of FCM, today announced more than $8.7 million for four projects in Alberta through GMF. More HERE.
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Survey: COVID-19 driving Canadians to waste less food
A new nation-wide survey shows that Canadians are wasting less food while COVID-19 public health measures have been in place. Love Food Hate Waste Canada, delivered by the National Zero Waste Council in conjunction with its campaign partners, worked with the Mustel Group to understand how food purchasing, storage, consumption and waste behaviours have changed since the introduction of quarantine and physical distancing measures.
The online survey of 1,200 randomly-selected adult Canadians was conducted between June 16 and 24, 2020 and found that while people are buying more food overall, 24% of households are throwing away or composting less uneaten food and 94% of Canadians are motivated to reduce their household’s avoidable food waste. More HERE.
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Helping Canadian organic growers meet demand for Canadian organic products
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will invest over $640,000 to the Canadian Organic Growers (COG) to help get more Canadian consumers buying local, Canadian-made organic products.
The announcement was made at Chelsea Market, during Canada’s National Organic Week, an annual event to showcase and celebrate organic food farming and products across the country. The demand for organic foods in Canada continues to rise, and there are many hard-working and entrepreneurial organic food producers across the country. However, much of the Canadian demand for organics is met by imported products. More HERE.
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Ready, set, cook! The Health Care Culinary Contest is back
Health care culinary professionals across the country are taking their menus to new levels in creativity and flavor, all powered by plants. Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth teamed up with Menus of Change, an initiative of The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to host another Health Care Culinary Contest. This year’s contest is streamlined for easier participation and will launch Oct. 1. In the meantime, register HERE to participate and stay updated with the latest news and special resources. More HERE.
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Supply of electric vehicles at Canadian dealerships is inadequate to meet demand
Canadian drivers keen on buying an electric vehicle typically start with two questions: what kind of range does it have and how long will I have to wait to get it?
Longer-range batteries in many new makes and models of EVs are taking care of the first concern. But anecdotal accounts persist of long wait times for deliveries and dealers with few or no EVs in stock. There’s no doubt demand for EVs is growing, but how much is a lack of supply holding back sales?
A newly released report, “Plug-In Electric Vehicle Availability,” prepared by Montreal’s Dunsky Energy Consulting for Transport Canada sheds light on that question. It also confirms the suspicions: not only is the overall supply of PEVs (fully electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids) inadequate to meet Canadian buyers’ demand, there are also stark regional disparities in the distribution of that inventory. More HERE.
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TTC becomes largest battery electric bus fleet in North America with rollout of third e-bus model
The Toronto Transit Commission this week became the operator of the largest public battery electric bus fleet in North America, as the introduction of a third e-bus model to Toronto streets brings its total fleet size to 60.
The first of the newly arrived buses, which come from BYD Canada Co. Ltd., went into service on Sept. 8. They join previously commissioned e-buses manufactured by Proterra Inc. and Winnipeg-based New Flyer Industries Inc. The TTC originally approved the purchase of 30 fully electric buses in November of 2017, and approved a further 30 purchases in 2018. The complete electrification of TTC buses, which is slated to occur by 2040, is a component of Toronto’s TransformTO climate action strategy to achieve 80 per cent reduction in local greenhouse gases by 2050. More HERE.
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Freight companies urged to get in on latest round of NRCan funding to help decarbonize their fleets
Do your health care suppliers enlist the services of freight companies that use electric delivery vehicles? Help is at hand for freight companies looking to reduce their fleets’ carbon emissions and cut fuel costs but are unsure how best to start. The Green Freight Assessment Program, a program first introduced by Natural Resources Canada in 2018, is now accepting a second round of applications for funding to pay for fleet energy assessments by third-party experts. Following that, a second round of financial assistance to support the implementation of those recommendations will open later this year. More HERE.
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Waste Reduction Week to be hosted by University Health Network
UHN is hosting a Waste Reduction Week (Oct 19-25), an Inter-Hospital Challenge that welcomes other hospitals to participate. The online quiz fits perfectly within the rapidly rising trend of virtual and distanced events.
There is no cost to participate other than each hospital handing out their own small prizes to incentivize staff. Get in touch with Lisa Vanlint at Lisa.Vanlint@uhn.ca by September 30, 2020 to register your interest. Click HERE to learn more about how the competition works. Click HERE to learn about past competitions.
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Vinyl Institute of Canada launches Hospital Medical Recycling Pilot - PVC123
The Vinyl Institute of Canada is delighted to announce the launch of PVC 123 - the first Medical PVC Recycling Pilot partnership in Canada. The pilot, established with funding support from Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Vinyl Institute of Canada, aims to divert products from landfills and encourage the recycling of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) medical devices in hospitals. Hospital operating rooms which produce the highest volume of IV bags, oxygen mask, and oxygen tubing waste, will be the first point of collection, after which, collected materials will be remanufactured into new products. More HERE.
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Climate Change Resources
The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care has the resources you need to help your facility take action on climate change. Learn more HERE.
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UBC researchers launch vulnerability index to track potential health impacts of climate change
A team of researchers at the University of British Columbia is launching a climate vulnerability index — a new resource that will map climate change-related health vulnerabilities and help local health authorities plan for them.
The index, developed by researchers at the Faculty of Medicine, measures how communities in the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health regions are susceptible to the health effects of extreme heat, wildfire smoke, flooding and air pollution.
According to a written statement, the index will be shared with the two health authorities, municipalities, and local First Nations so that they may quickly respond when climate-related health concerns arise. "Data from each community was used to calculate scores for exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity, which were then summarized to form an overall vulnerability score," a project description explains. More HERE.
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How the U.S. wildfires are impacting air quality from B.C. to Ontario
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A BIG thank you to www.SaveOnEnergy.ca for their continued financial support for the Ontario Green Health Care Award and the Ontario Energy Behaviour Award
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CHES Webinar / SCISS Webinaire
COVID-19: From the Facilities Management Front Lines:
Questions, Possible Solutions and Lots to Think About /
COVID-19: La gestion des installations en première ligne
: questions, solutions possibles et pistes de réflexion
Wednesday September 23, 2020 / Mercredi 23 septembre 2020
1:00 PM Eastern / 1 h 00, heure de l'Est
Registration: Free to CHES Members / Inscription: gratuite pour les membres de la SCISS
CHES invites your participation in a Webinar they are hosting on Wednesday September 23, 2020 on the impact of COVID-19 on Facility Management. This will be a moderated panel discussion. The webinar is free to all CHES Members and will be 1 hour. Advance registration is not required, you can register on the day of the webinar using the details below.
La SCISS vous invite à participer à un webinaire qu'elle organise le mercredi 23 septembre 2020 concernant l'impact de la COVID-19 sur la gestion des installations. La table ronde sera animée par un modérateur. Le webinaire est gratuit pour tous les membres de la SCISS et durera 1 heure. L'inscription préalable n'est pas nécessaire, vous pouvez vous inscrire le jour du webinaire (voir précisions ci-dessous).
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Climate Emergency: Diagnosis and Management Conference
The new virtual Continuing Professional Development learning opportunity focusing on climate emergency is hosted by The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). This full-day event will feature speakers with expertise in both climate change and health. There will be smaller simultaneous workshops to enable participants to delve into areas of special interest and actively participate in discussions. The conference will showcase specific green projects undertaken by participants as well as feature green advertisers.
Oct 30 (Fri) 0800–1700 PDT
Target audience: physicians and all health care professionals, researchers, students & residents.
Overview: Help fight climate change within your professional healthcare role. This full-day virtual event will feature speakers with expertise in both climate change and health.
Up to 8.0 Mainpro+/MOC Section 1 credits
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CMA Awards and Nominations
The CMA Awards recognize the dedication, successes and talents of individuals who are making significant contributions to our health and health care.
The next call for nominations will be issued on Sept. 20, 2020 and the nomination period will close on Nov. 30, 2020. Profiles of recent award recipients and details about each award can be found below. More HERE.
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National Healthcare Facilities and Engineering Week (NHFEW)
October 18-24, 2020
Recognize yourself, your staff and your facility in these extraordinary times!
#NHFEW is just a month away. Start your planning now! Ideas for Posters ... Notices ... Tent Cards ... and more online.
Order CHES Promotional swag for events planned for your facility: Order Form
Semaine nationale de l’ingénierie et des établissements de santé (SNIES)
18 au 24 octobre 2020
Récompensez vous-même, votre personnel et votre établissement en ces temps extraordinaires !
#SNIES plus que 3 mois. Commencez à planifier dès maintenant! Idées d’affiches…d’avis…de chevalets…et plus encore en ligne. Commandez les articles promotionnels de la SCISS pour les événements planifiés dans votre établissement : Bon de commande
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CHES 2020 Webinar Series
Wednesday October 21, 2020 - CSA Z317.13-17 Role of the Multi-Disciplinary Team - Pros and Cons
Speaker: Wayne Stokes, CET arch, FMA, RPA
Wednesday November 18, 2020 - Awareness / Update on Med Gas Qualified Operators
Speaker: Roger Holliss
Visit the CHES website for more details as they become available or to register!
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Canadian Healthcare Facilities
You don't need to be a member of the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society (CHES) to take advantage of all Canadian Healthcare Facilities has to offer. Check it out for engaging stories by subject matter experts on topics that matter to health care facility managers and operators. Each quarterly journal is filled with stories from CHES members about what their teams and facilities have done and continue to do to provide safe and welcoming care sites across Canada. For the latest in health care facility management articles, click HERE. To learn more about becoming a member of CHES, please visit www.ches.org
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Organ Donation - The Ultimate Recycling
Have you registered as an organ donor?
Contact your local organ donation agency and speak to your family about your wishes. You have the power to save and transform lives. Or visit the Government of Canada website to register and donate.
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Click HERE to learn how RETScreen Expert software can help your organisation quickly analyze cost savings, feasibility and emissions reductions.
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The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care is Canada’s premier green health care resource network, leading the evolution of green in Canada’s health sector as a national voice and catalyst for environmental change. www.greenhealthcare.ca
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Some articles referred to in the Digest make reference to services and/or product offerings from specific suppliers. The CCGHC recommends that readers research the service and product offerings available through a wider range of suppliers for comparison purposes and in keeping with public sector purchasing guidelines. These articles should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any product or service. |
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